Defense

By Thierry Dubois
The European Space Agency’s member state have agreed to fund €10.3 billion ($11 billion) of €11 billion requested for programs extending from 2017 out to 2025.
Defense

Retired U.S. Marine Corps’ Gen. James Mattis is President-Elect Donald Trump’s pick to be Secretary of Defense, Trump announced late Dec. 1.
Defense

By Bradley Perrett
Upgrading the Bell 412 for Japan’s UH-X military program will produce a significantly improved helicopter for the civil market, including a higher gross weight.
Defense

Egypt's naval air power is about to undergo a step-change with the purchase of 46 Kamov attack helicopters, to be carried on new, French-built Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. Alan Dron asks why such equipment is needed?
Defense

By Tony Osborne
Fiscal 2017 U.S. defense budget includes plans to replace Afghan fleet of Mi-17 helicopters.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Bradley Perrett, Graham Warwick
The latest Chinese air-to-air missile is comparable with a long-range surface-to-air weapon in size and appearance, so its range is probably well over 200 km.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
Tailsitting vertical takeoff/landing unmanned aircraft takes shape at Northrop Grumman under DARPA’s Tern warship-based medium-altitude, long-endurance program.
Aerospace

By Jen DiMascio
In this week’s Washington Outlook, outsourcing business seems suddenly unpopular, lawmakers ask for a flyoff between the F-35 and the A-10 and the head of Trump’s NASA transition team is named.
Defense

By Jen DiMascio, Tony Osborne
From the Middle East, to India, Canada and Europe, our editors take stock of recent deals and announced sales of fighter aircraft, and size up how that will impact upcoming competitions.
Defense

United Launch Alliance will have some breathing room in its ongoing competition against SpaceX for national security space launches if Congress adopts the consolidated fiscal 2017 defense authorization bill.
Defense

By Mark Carreau
Russia’s Progress MS-04 resupply mission to the International Space Station experienced a third-stage Soyuz launch vehicle failure 382 sec. after a Dec. 1 liftoff.
Defense

The compromise defense policy bill would mandate the Pentagon’s top weapons tester complete comparison tests of the F-35 and A-10 and report to Congress on the findings.
Defense

The U.S. Defense Department is on the cusp of beginning an analysis of alternatives of future wideband satellite communications options as the eighth of 10 Boeing-built Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) space vehicles is prepped for launch this month.
Defense

By Jay Menon
India plans to launch its second lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-2, in the first quarter of 2018.
Defense

Congress has decided not to completely hamstring U.S. Air Force programs to replace the antiquated EC-130H Compass Call electronic attack turboprop and E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.
Defense

By Bradley Perrett
A new Chinese air-to-air weapon is comparable to a long-range surface-to-air missile in size and appearance and therefore can probably reach well more than 200 km (120 mi.).
Defense

By Tony Osborne
Czech aerospace firm Aero Vodochody says it is close to completing its first new-build L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft (ALCA) since production of the type ended 13 years ago.
Defense

Iraq has requested a potential purchase from the US of 5,000 AGM-114K/N/R Hellfire missiles; Ten 114K M36E9 Captive Air Training Missiles; associated equipment; and defense services at a value of around $800 million.
Defense

By Jen DiMascio
In this week’s roundup, Norway looks to upgrade its maritime patrol fleet, Singapore looks toward operations of a surveillance aerostat, Japan receives its first F-35, Raytheon scores a new Patriot sale and Poland buys Lockheed’s extended-range missile.
Defense

By Bradley Perrett
The Bell 412 will be built and assembled on both sides of the Pacific. FHI’s manufacturing setup will be a second production line, says Bell.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Lockheed Martin president and CEO Marillyn Hewson is not giving up on continued F-16 Viper production.
Defense

Electrospray thruster technology demonstrated on the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Lisa Pathfinder gravity-wave mission is moving to more generic applications, including cubesat deorbiting, formation flying and long-distance laser comms.
Defense

The FAA’s UAS test sites across the U.S. are carving out hundreds of linear miles of airspace for proving out the technologies and procedures needed for widespread beyond visual line of sight operations.
Defense

By Thierry Dubois
Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL) is now the majority shareholder in launcher operator Arianespace, at 74% of the share capital.
Defense

Although the reconciled 2017 defense policy bill drops proposed plus-ups for fighter aircraft procurement, the House Armed Services Committee chairman is hopeful the incoming President Donald Trump administration will boost funds to pay for the additional hardware.
Defense